Essentials (Raspberry Pi Press)

Sometimes only words will do. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) were a great advance, creating an easy route into computers for non-technical users. But for complex tasks, GUIs can block off choices and require a circuitous route even for simple tasks. Enter the command line: the blinking cursor many thought had faded away in the 1990s. For getting instructions from user to computer - in a clear, quick, and unambiguous form - nothing beats the command line. It never disappeared on UNIX and Linux systems, and thanks to Raspberry Pi OS, a new generation is discovering how it simplifies complex tasks and lets you carry out simple ones instantly. Build essential skills, including: • Read and write text files • Find and install software • Manage removable storage • Use Secure Shell (SSH) for remote access • Write disk images to SD cards • Browse the web from the command line If you're not comfortable when faced with the $ prompt, don't panic! In this fully updated book, we'll quickly make you feel at home and get you familiar with the terminal on Raspberry Pi (or any Mac and Linux computer). Updated for the latest Raspberry Pi software, this book has everything you need to get started.

There are many things that distinguish Raspberry Pi from other computers. The GPIO header might just be the most significant of them all - it allows you to connect electronic components to your Raspberry Pi and control them with code you've written yourself. The most popular programming language for controlling electronics on a Raspberry Pi is Python, particularly the code in the GPIO Zero library, which you can use to control LEDs, sensors, motors, and many more components. With this book, you'll learn how to use GPIO Zero as you build a series of simple electronics projects: • Program some LED lights • Add a push button to your project • Build a motion-sensing alarm • Create your own distance rangefinder • Make a laser-powered tripwire • Build a Raspberry Pi robot The GPIO pins on your Raspberry Pi open up a whole new world of possibilities - specifically, the physical world around you. It may seem daunting at first, but you'll be creating electronic circuits and controlling them with code before you know it. Grab your breadboard and start taking control of the real world with your Raspberry Pi today! Updated for the latest Raspberry Pi devices, this book has all the information you need to get started.

Learning to code your own shoot-'em-up game is infinitely more satisfying than beating any end-of-level boss. While millions of us enjoy nothing more than spending hours racking up high scores on our favourite video games, too few are exposed to an even more gratifying way to spend time - making them. Tested to run on the latest Raspberry Pi hardware and operating system, the games and instructions in this book work on Windows, macOS, or Linux. This book teaches Python and Pygame development, helping you to understand the games you play and create almost anything your imagination can come up with. As you work your way up to creating your own shoot-'em-up game, you'll learn how to: • Create shapes and paths • Move sprites and detect collisions • Handle keyboard, mouse, and gamepad input • Add sound and music • Simulate physics and forces Although this book isn't aimed at complete programming beginners, it isn't too advanced either. If you've written programs in Python (or a similar programming language) and can perform basic administrative tasks - such as creating files and navigating your computer's file system - without too much difficulty, then you're ready to get started.

The C programming language was invented in the early 1970s, and since then has become one of the most popular and widely used general-purpose languages. It's used by a wide range of programmers, from amateurs working on simple projects at home, to industry professionals who write in C for a living. It's been used to program everything from the tiny microcontrollers used in watches and toasters up to huge software systems - most of Linux (and Raspberry Pi OS itself) is written in it. It can give you control over the smallest details of how a processor operates, but is still simple to learn and read. C is a very powerful language – there's not much you can't use it for – but it's fairly simple. The language itself only has 20 or so keywords, but there's a huge library of additional functions that you can call in when you need them. Learn to code with C on your Raspberry Pi across 13 packed chapters: • Create variables & do arithmetic • Control the flow of your C programs • For loops and case statements • Understand and create functions • Work with arrays and strings • Interpreting user input • and much more This book is an introduction to programming in C for absolute beginners; you don't need any previous programming experience, and a Raspberry Pi running Raspberry Pi OS is all you need to get started.

Space exploration is fascinating and inspiring for children and adults alike. With the tiny Raspberry Pi computer helping to change the world little-by-little, it was only a matter of time before it went to space to help out there as well. This new adventure is called the Astro Pi project. To help the Raspberry Pi in its extraterrestrial mission, the Sense HAT was created to provide more functionality; the Sense HAT board sits on top of the Raspberry Pi, and has lights and sensors to allow the Pi to interact with the outside world. Master essential world-sensing skills: • What is the Sense HAT? • How does the Astro Pi mission work? • Master the Sense HAT's capabilities • Build a fun gravity simulator • Make a digital Magic 8 Ball • Create an interactive pixel pet • Build a reactions testing game • Make a powerful data logger In this book, we aim to help you figure out exactly what the Sense HAT is and how you could use it to make your projects and dreams a reality. It's an incredibly versatile and flexible bit of kit with plenty of very obvious uses, along with many many less-obvious ones, that you'll love to make and share. Updated for the latest Raspberry Pi devices and hardware, this book has everything you need to get started.

One of the main reasons for the Raspberry Pi's continued popularity is its 40-pin GPIO header, which enables users to connect electronic components and control them with a program. While other languages may be used, the code for physical computing projects is usually written in Python, something that's become a whole lot easier with the recent introduction of the GPIO Zero library. Before its arrival, connecting electronics required numerous lines of code just to get everything set up. GPIO Zero does all this boilerplate code for you, so you can focus on controlling the physical devices. As well as resulting in far fewer lines of code, it makes it a lot easier for newcomers to understand. Learn from simple electronics projects across 12 chapters: • Program LED lights • Add a push button to your project • Build a motion sensing alarm • Create your own distance rangefinder • Make a laser-powered tripwire • Build a Raspberry Pi robot • and much more Using the GPIO pins on your Raspberry Pi opens up a whole new world of possibilities. While it might seem daunting at first glance, with our help you'll be creating electronic circuits and controlling them with the Python programming language within minutes. Grab your breadboard and start taking control of the real world with your Raspberry Pi today!